Saving lives is important to everyone at Gift of Life Marrow Registry, and in some cases, supporting its mission has become a family passion.

One such family is the Ginsbergs. Mindy Ginsberg currently serves as the organization’s Associate Director of Development, and has been with the organization for 14 years. Her two sons, Brandon and Steven, each donated marrow-related cells this year to be used as material for medical research.

“Seeing how meaningful Gift of Life’s work is to my mother is inspiring,” said Brandon. “Learning more about the impact the organization makes on people’s lives is really special.” 

Both brothers now have the chance to have an impact on many other people as their cells are used to develop new immunotherapies. Not only are scientists seeking ways to boost the effectiveness of blood stem cell and marrow transplants for curing blood cancer, but they are also seeking methods to treat other types of cancer, including solid tumors, and a range of other diseases.

Steven was the first to donate, providing mononuclear cells requested for a research project. Mononuclear cells are a subset of the white blood cells (leukocytes), including monocytes and lymphocytes, both being part of the immune response system.

“Even though this donation is not a match for a specific patient, I know this is also for a good cause,” said Steven. “I don’t expect I’ll ever learn about what research will come out of this, but I sent these white blood cells out into the world to do good.”

Cell collections are done at the Adelson Collection Center, housed in Gift of Life’s Boca Raton, Fla., headquarters, where the facility and staff provide a premium experience that goes far beyond a typical clinical setting. Private suites for each donor and their companion, gourmet lunches, and a range of entertainment options are setting a new standard for stem cell donation.

Steven’s donation took about four hours, during which he watched some shows and talked to his mother, whose office is also at the headquarters, and who dropped in to see him a few times.

“The whole organization and staff are incredible,” he said. “People are so nice from the top down, and the entire process is seamless. I wish people could see how easy and comfortable donating is, how nice the facility, people, and hospitality are – it’s really an A+ experience. And the potential for your cells to help save many lives is really something to consider.”

In December, Brandon donated blood stem cells – a different type of cells than Steven’s monocyte donation. While everyone has blood stem cells in their marrow and blood, those who donate stem cells receive filgrastim injections for several days in advance to help stimulate the production of extra cells. These move into the circulating blood and are collected through the apheresis process.

“One thing that came to mind as I donated was one of my closest friends, Brandon Wolfe, who donated stem cells to a patient,” said Brandon. “Yes, we’re both named Brandon and have been friends for many years. His recipient turned out to be an oncologist, and by pure coincidence, she lives near him. The impact on her life is remarkable, and the relationship they have today is so special. Seeing how stem cell therapies can save people’s lives is amazing, and this was so inspiring. In whatever way I can help others, I’m here to do it.”

But his friend and mother were not Brandon’s only inspirations.

“I have a very close friend who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer,” said Brandon. “His treatments so far have been successful, and I hope he’ll never need a transplant. It’s important that people continue to join the registry – the most requested donors are those between 18 and 35 years old, so young donors are always needed. You may even be selected to participate in a research project, like I have been, and who knows, a new cure for myeloma or some other disease could be discovered.”

Thank you to Steven and Brandon for their generous donations in support of medical research. If you’d like to join the registry, click here to have a registration kit mailed to your home.